Apple's iTunes U Goes Mobile with iPad and iPhone App

Has you used the iTunes U App on iPad and iPhone yet? It was announced by Apple when they announced the iBooks' Textbooks and the iBooks Author tool.

It is pretty cool! I am attending a Stanford University "iOS Development" class right from the comfort of my home - AND for FREE! Monday is my new "class" day for this course.

I have the lectures (Videos), the slides (PDF), and homework assignments (PDF) available for downloading and viewing.

I have them loaded in my iTunes on the iMac. I can watch it on the iMac, but then my screen real estate gets used up.

WIth the Apple TV, I send the video from the iMac (did you know there is an Apple TV button in iTunes - on the Mac at least) to the 50" HDTV. This allows me to view the slides and\or assignments on the iMac. Additionally I can follow along with the instructor in Xcode and build the code as I watch.

I have all the same material on my iPad and iPhone, so I can review the material anywhere. Now I am wish I had gotten a MacBook Pro instead of the iMac. Either way this is very nice.

I have recommended the iTunes U for as long as it has been available on iTunes, but with the new course material added and the mobility of the content to the iOS devices makes this a no-brainer for anyone interested in learning a new subject.

Here are some shots of the iTunes U on an iPhone 4s:

Here is the app icon


The Library Screen


Here is all of the content in my iTunes U app


Here is the iOS Development Lesson Example from Stanford University


Here is the iOS Development Slide Example from Stanford University


Here is the iOS Development Video Example from Stanford University


Here is the iOS Development Video Output Example from Stanford University


Here is the iOS Development Course Material Example from Stanford University


Here is the iOS Development Assignment Example from Stanford University


The App is FREE and so is the Material from Standford.

If you haven't checked out the iTunes U app in the AppStore, you should.

iTunes Links: iTunes U for iPad

iTunes Links: iTunes U for iPhone

Review: Thule 13" MacBook Pro + iPad Attaché

I have the Thule 13" MacBook Pro + iPad Attaché carrying case. This case is awesome and very nice looking. Thule typically makes luggage equipment for mounting atop vehicles, so their look is more on the side of "functional" not "pretty".



The case is water resistant with a zipper that closes firm. It think it is designed to be carried in various weather conditions without fear of moisture reaching your devices, not designed to be submerged completely in water.



While it is designed for a MacBook Pro, I carry my Toshiba Ultrabook inside it. The case opens in a clamshell with a laptop side and another for an iPad and storage for accessories.



On the laptop side, there is simply a elastic band that holds the laptop firmly in place. You can open and close the case without fear of the laptop shifting or falling out. It is designed so that you can open up the case and position the laptop to be used in the case.





The other side is nicely designed. There is a section divider that holds the iPad in the front side pocket.





The divider has three pockets on the back where you could store an iPhone, USB drive, on any other small devices. Behind the divider is a huge storage area that can easily store power cords for both your laptop and iPad. There is room enough for an Apple Bluetooth keyboard, a mouse, cleaning cloth for your iPad screen and whatever else you might need while on the go. There is a strap that is attached to the back cover of the case that has a Velcro patch to lock unto the divider. This strap ensures that everything in the storage area stays put.



While I am using my Apple Bluetooth Keyboard to write this review on my iPad, I typically don't carry it with me. I typically don't mind using the on screen keyboard, but it is nice to know it is can be brought along in my case if I needed to do so.





I compute to work using the bus system. I park my car and then board the single bus that takes appropriately 45 minutes to arrive to Downtown Detroit (Michigan). Using a Bluetooth keyboard is not practical in this environment. I am; however, able to store everything I need do need in this case.

My naked iPad could very easily slip into the front pocket of the divider. The pocket has a soft liner so that the screen would not be scratched. While the pockets are nice on both sides of the divider, I typically do not use them. My iPad (first generation) is in an Otterbox case, so it is bulkier than it would be without the case. I place it between the divider and the storage area and secure it in place with the Velcro equipped strap. The Otterbox case protects the iPad from everything else that is in the bag.

When I am computing and want to use my iPad, the Thule case works great as a flat surface to rest my Otterbox case on top of. I prop my iPad up on the Otterbox's stand and can comfortably use it.



The Thule case has a removable shoulder strap that come in handy when I use the case as a surface. What I do is unstrap one side of the shoulder strap and wrap it around my waist and then reattach it to the case. This secures the case and prevents it from sliding away from me, since I am at the mercy of the bus driver and made experience some sudden and abrupt stops. I often use this method with either the iPad or with my laptop. In both instances, the textured and patterned surface of the outer case shell is perfect to help keep the device from shifting while in transit.

The Thule 13" MacBook Pro + iPad Attaché carrying case holds everything I need while on the go. The storage area is a nice size. It has a mesh pocket that runs the length of the case and will keep you items in place.



The carry the following items with me:

Toshiba Portégé Ultrabook

Apple iPad (first generation) in OtterBox iPad 1 Defender-Series Case (Black)

Western Digital My Passport 500 GB USB Portable External Hard Drive

OrigAudio ROCK-IT Portable Vibration Speaker 3.5mm USB!

Verizon Wireless MIFI 4510L WI-FI 4G LTE Portable Hotspot

Cleaning Cloth for iPad screen

IPad Sync cable and power cube

Micro USB cable (for charging my Mophie Juice Pack Air Battery Case)

Altoids smalls for fresh breathe

Verbatim Bluetooth Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse (for Laptop) and Mouse pad

Power cord and power brick for Ultrabook (in case)

Sprint Travel Charger PLUS (not pictured)

The Thule 13" MacBook Pro + iPad Attaché carrying case is a perfect size case for me. It is 13.6" wide, 10.2" high and 2.2" in depth. Those dimensions don't seem big at all and by appearance they aren't, but they are quite adequate to allow everything I need to be brought with me while on the go.



I like that is is not a huge carry case. I used to wheel a bag behind me in order to bring all the things I needed for my mobile office. You don't believe me!? Take a look at the video I submitted to the Gadgeteer's "Show us What is in your Gear bag?" contest. I didn't win the contest and received a T-Shirt for my efforts. Here are all the other entires. Maybe I would have won the contest if I had this bag, but I definitely would have one if I had today's devices in it. None of these items were even available back in 2006. The funny thing is that I basically have the same equipment, but at smaller footprints. The two things that would technically be in my bag today are my White Apple iPhone 4s 32GB At&t White and my LG Tone (HBS-700) Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset, but they are on my belt and neck.

This bag is a great size. It is the right size for everything I need without looking big and bulky. If you looked at this case, you would never think it held so many items. The case is not flashy or colorful, so it does not draw much attention which is great while commuting. It does have a very prominent THULE logo on the front, but that name doesn't scream "Expensive Gadgets Inside!".



I purchased the Toshiba 12-Inch Leather Envoy Leather Case with my Ultrabook, but this thing was just too big and heavy. When travelling or computing, I want my bag to contain what I need without taking up too much space. I can use the strap to hang this on the seat in front of me without taking up too much of my leg or lap room. While flying, this can slide under my seat with room to spare.



I highly recommend the Thule 13 Inch MacBook Pro Laptop Attache Case. It is a rugged, yet sophisticated looking case. Its durable, semi-rigid, high-density construction provides protection for the hardware you need to carry. The case cost $79.99 USD.

All photos can be viewed here on Flickr.

Thanks,

Carl W. Brooks
iAmThereforeiPad, Founder and Chief Editor

iPad News, Reviews and How-To-Dos.
We help make your iPad experience Magical through information!
http://www.iamthereforeipad.com
IPad podcast: http://goo.gl/dpiyI

On Jan 14, 2012, at 10:40 PM, Sue O'Dwyer wrote:

I am looking for a carrying case for my iPad and keyboard

Apple is reinventing the textbook.

By Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY

Published: 1/19/2012 10:55:20 AM

At New York's Guggenheim Museum, Apple's senior vice president for worldwide marketing Phil Schiller unveiled iBooks 2, an interactive, full-screen digital textbooks experience that makes liberal use of video and animations and the swiping and pinching gestures familiar to anyone who has an iPad. Students can purchase the new digital textbooks starting today right from Apple's iBookstore.

Apple also announced iBooks Author, a free tool for Macintosh computers with custom templates to help authors create and publish their own digital textbooks. Schiller says teachers could even take advantage of iBooks Author to create lesson plans.

And Apple is also broadening its iTunes U program with a new app that lets professors create full online courses. The company is also letting K-12 institutions participate.

"Education is deep in our DNA and has been from the very beginning," Schiller says, pointing to how the U.S. has sagged in education — ranking 17th, 23rd and 31st around the world in reading, science and math, respectively.

The company's hope is that students will find the new textbooks engaging. Students studying high school biology, for example, can view 3-D animated models of structures within a cell. They can tap a word or a glossary definition, pinch to return to the table of contents, and drag their finger to highlight a passage. The books can automatically turn student notes into study cards.

Though Apple is targeting the new textbooks at any age or grade level, the early emphasis is on high-school textbooks. Books will be priced at $14.99 or less. Early publishing partners include Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, who collectively control 90% of the market, with some of the titles available immediately. Apple is also working with DK Publishing on titles that cover dinosaurs, insects, mammals and the ABCs.

"Life on Earth" from noted biologist E.O. Wilson is also being made available; the first two chapters are free. Additional chapters will be available at "very aggressive prices," Schiller says.

Still, there are questions about how quickly this will all be adopted. During his presentation, Schiller did not mention how many books will be available. Also, few students have iPads, which start at $499.

And as NPD analyst Ross Rubin tweeted, "Much as with other printed content, textbook publishers will have to justify investment to add all this multimedia in Apple textbooks."

Contributing: Associated Press

Jailbreak the Apple TV 2; Why I did it and Why You Might too

Many of you know that I love to Jailbreak my iOS devices. I had lost my iPad Jailbreak when I upgraded to iOS 5.0.1, but I was able to regain the Jailbreak with the release of the redsn0w jailbreak tool over the Christmas break. My iPad 1 is happy once again.

Jailbreaking, is the process of removing the limitations imposed by Apple on devices running the iOS operating system through use of custom kernels. Such devices include the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and 2nd Gen Apple TV. Jailbreaking allows users to gain root access to the operating system, allowing iOS users to download additional applications, extensions, and themes that are unavailable through the official Apple App Store. A jailbroken iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS can still use the App Store, iTunes, and other normal functions, such as making telephone calls. The term 'jailbreaking' has also been applied to other computer systems, such as the Sony Playstation 3. Jailbreaking is a form of privilege escalation.

Unlike rooting an Android device, jailbreaking is necessary if the user intends to run software not authorized by Apple. A tethered jailbreak requires that the device be connected to a computer each time it needs to be booted; an untethered jailbreak allows the device to be powered without computer assistance. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, jailbreaking Apple devices is legal in the United States, although Apple has announced that the practice "can violate the warranty". To avoid any warranty issues, the Apple TV must be restored to the non-Jailbroken state by hooking it up to the desktop and iTunes and performing a restore.

Over the Christmas 2011 break, I finally picked up an Apple TV (2nd Version) after months of wondering why anyone would even want to have one. Actually I picked it up the day after Thanksgiving for $89. It is normally $99, but available at Amazon for a little less. I previously did not see a good enough reason to spend nearly $100 for the device.

The Apple TV allows you to rent Apple's large selection of HD movies and commercial-free HD TV shows. It has a Netflix app that allows access to the huge catalog of movies and TV shows available to Netflix subscribers in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Mexico. You can browse and play YouTube videos, watch HD podcasts, and listen to Internet radio. You can access online Flickr and MobileMe photos galleries. Plus if you have photos, music, movies or videos on your computer, they can be seen and\or heard on your TV and\or home theater speakers.

This all sounded good, but I could do all of this already through some other means. I can rent movies and TV shows (via Amazon app), listen to online radio (Pandora app), and view Youtube on my Home Theater system from Panasonic. I had an HDMI cable hooked to my iMac, so I could view my photos, music, movies and videos on my computer on my 50" HD television (though it tied my computer up a bit to do so). I have Netflix on both my Wii and the same home theater system, so the app on Apple TV was no advantage by itself. So as you could guess, I didn't see a reason to spend nearly $100. Two factors help push me to make the leap; one was the addition of Airplay to the Apple TV OS..

With AirPlay mirroring, whatever is playing on your iPad 2 or iPhone 4S can wirelessly play on your HDTV. And your photos appear automatically with Photo Stream from your iCloud account. This is an incredible feature that was added with the latest update to the Apple Tv's OS (4.4.4). To be able to instantly display content that is on my iPhone 4s is awesome. All without any cables. My iPad 1 only wirelessly displays content that has an app that is specifically designed for Airplay. The mirrorring is disabled on the iPad 1 for some silly reason. To get my iPad's content mirrored on the big screen, I would need a $40 cable and a Jailbreak. The other factor that sold me was the realization that I did not have any of the above mentioned functions in my bedroom. With the tiny size of the Apple TV and the minimum requirements needed to hook it up to the TV, the Apple TV is quickly moved between my bedroom and the Livingroom. With two young daugthers, I am limited to what shows or movies I can watch in the "Family\Livingroom", so having access to my content in the bedroom is awesome.

Now the unsung hero of the Apple TV is the Jailbreak. I knew that a Jailbreak existed for the Apple Tv, but I never paid much attention to it. My younger brother, who has become a fan of Apple after getting his first generation iPod Touch (after I fell in love with the device and told him about it), had insisted that I look into Jailbreaking the Apple TV. Had I know what it had to offer, "Jailbreaking" would have been the third reason I bought the Apple TV. Instead, it was an afterthought after the purchase. Boy am I glad I looked into it.

The latest Apple TV Jailbreak is made possible with the Seas0nPass tool. This one is significant because it Jailbreaks the Apple TV OS version that brought the Airplay feature into play. As is typical with most Jailbreak tools, Seas0nPass does only one things - Jailbreak. The Jailbreak is simple and only takes a few minutes. So once used, the Apple TV behaves normally. In fact, the only thing that is different is the logo that is dislpayed when the Jailbroken Apple TV is booted up.

What happens after the Jailbreak is what makes the Jailbreak worth it or leaves you wondering why you even bothered. A lot of people don't have any idea what to do after they perform the Jailbreak on most of the iOS devices because it can mean so many different things based on what people chose to add. This is even more true with the Apple TV because there is less information about it than it is for the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. So I will share with you what I added and see if it excited you too.

When I first consider the Apple TV, I couldn't do so without considering the Google TV. The Google TV was on my radar because it offered Internet browsing while the Apple TV didn't. If AirPlay was never added to the Apple TV, maybe I would have bought a Google TV device instead. Thankfully, I now have Internet Browsing on my Jailbroken Apple TV - thanks to the aTV Flash Black tool. aTV Flash (black) is a user-friendly software package that supercharges your new black AppleTV, unleashing a plethora of new functionality. My favorite feature is the Couch Surfer app that lets me surf the Web on my TV. Who wouldn't want to visit their favorite sites, stream HTML5 video, and update Twitter from the biggest screen in the house; the HDTV.

The Browser menu offers the ability to enter a web address, perform a Google
web search, access saved Bookmarks, manage Surfing History and control browser settings. In the settings area, you can set up your favorite web page to launch automatically when you turn the Apple TV on.

My next best feature is the Media Player, which empower the Apple TV to play popular media formats including MKV, AVI, MP4 & many others on the big screen without conversions. The Apple TV, without this player, is very limited by which types of videos or movies formats it can play. Media Player makes all of your videos playable without you having to think about it. If that wasn't good enough, it also grabs the movie metadata details from the web so you get Movie cover art, movie ratings, movie descriptions and more for all of your movies. The media can be stored on a PC, Mac and even a NAS device and the Apple TV can find it and play it. If you use your computers' credentials to log into the computers from Apple TV, then you can navigate the entire filesystem to access and play your media. If you don't use your credentials, then the Apple TV can only access the shared drives on your computer(s).

Not a fan of iTunes? The Media player makes your media available regardless of whether you use iTunes or not. It can play the above video formats plus the popular audio formats like MP3 and WAV. This is made possible via the Last.fm app that can be installed with the aTV Flash Black program. Last.fm also lets you listen to music streamed from the Internet.

There is also more to like or love with the aTV addons like Weather, RSS feeds for management of my news feeds, and Vimeo for some more zany Internet videos, but it is the addon called XBMC that helps to bring me closer to cutting the cord on cable. The XBMC addon can be added from the Maintenance menu that is added to the Apple TV's main menu area; in fact all of the addons have to be added from the maintenence menu after installing the aTV Flash Black program.

The whole process is very simple to accomplish, but some optional parts do require some technical savvy to accomplish. If you can follow simple instructions, you too can enjoy some great new content on your Apple TV. The Jailbreak is free, but the aTV Flash Black is $30.

Here are the steps I took to Jailbreak and modify my Apple TV.

1. Install the Seas0nPass Jailbreak with the instructions found here or by viewing the following video.

2. Purchase from the aTV Flash Black and download it to your desktop and install it with these instructions. Once it is installed and the Apple TV reboots, go to maintenance menu and install the add-ons you desire.

3. Make sure you install XBMC, but afterwards I highly recommend it. It will give you access to some additional video sources.

4. You will want to add some XBMC repositories to XBMC so that you have access to additional video content like the "Hulu" and "Free Cable" channels available from the Bluecop repository.

It is recommended you install the Repositories Installer Add-on for XBMC. Alternatively you could install an individual repository.

To do either of these, you will need to install from a ZIP file:
1. Download the ZIP file and save***** to a location accessible by XBMC. I recommend saving it into /var/mobile via a FTP app like FileZilla.
2. Open XBMC and browse to System > Add-ons > Install from zip file.
3. Browse to the file you downloaded and select it.

If you installed the Repositories Installer, browse to Programs, open the installer and install any repositories you like. You will need to restart XBMC for them to be accessible.

To access the contents of the newly installed repo(s) browse to Videos > Video Add-ons > Get More...

***** This is could be the toughest part of this who article for a non-techie.
Use a FTP program like Filezilla to copy the zip file(s) to Apple TV



If you got the FTP process down back, try installing this one to get access to Crackle videos on your Apple TV.

I highly recommend Jailbreaking the Apple TV.

iPad therefore my Mom Does Too

Yesterday my mother and I visited the Apple store at the Somerset mall in Troy, MI. It appeared much bigger than I remember it from May 2010 when I last visited the store to get my very own iPad. My mother had connected me just after Christmas indicating that she was ready to purchase herself an iPad. I mentioned briefly that a new iPad will most likely be announced and\or released in March or April 2012.

She proceeded with asking me to take her to get one, so I relented. I began my normal series of questions that I always ask those who express interest in getting an iPad:

Do you own or have access to a desktop or laptop computer?
Why do you want an iPad?
What do you intend to use the device for?
How much music, pictures or movies would you intend to put on the device?
If you intend to add any of the above, how do you intend to do so? Buy from iTunes or convert existing media, etc?
Which model do you think you need: 16GB, 32GB or 64GB?
Do you have an Internet service at your home? If yes, is it wireless?
Do you have access to Wireless Internet hotspot at other venues that your frequently visit like your job, friends, family or public places (Starbucks, restaurants, library)?
Do you need to have Internet access beyond these places?
Do you a preference for Verizon Wireless or AT&T?

Once we went through the questions, she decided to get the white Apple iPad 2 Tablet with 32GB, Wifi + AT&T 3G.

She also purchased a pink Smart Cover. The Apple store did not carry any third party iPad 2 cases at all.

She loves the convenience and is thankful that she did not buy another desktop computer or a hot and clunky laptop (like my dad did).

How to Find apps to delete from the hundreds available on my IPad's home screens

To see all apps and have the ability to delete them, launch the Settings app.

Click in General an then Usage. Let the progress circle spin and then it will show you the apps that consume the largest disk space. Click on "Show all Apps" to see every app installed. Locate the app you want and select it. Click "Delete app". Click Click "Delete app" on the confirmation dialog box and the app is gone.

Thanks,

Carl W. Brooks

On Nov 22, 2011, at 2:00 PM, "zanec" <zanec36@.com> wrote:

> This is a problem I created and now need some help.... I have over 500 apps on my pad, obviously many in folders. I use the "find" feature frequently to help me locate apps, but this option does not tell me where on my home screens the app is hiding. I know I can open it from the "find" window, but if I want to delete it or move it, I have to find the unopened app..... Any idea on how to do this?

Google Launches Google Music; Plays on iOS devices

Google Music: Google announced that it is opening its Music service to everyone for free for up to 20,000 songs. In addition, the company is adding a music marketplace through the Android Market, adding a catalog of millions of songs.

Google is curating the store using recommendations from staff members and personalized recommendations based on artists you’ve indicated that you like. Hooking in its social network, Google+, the company is also making it easy to share songs either publicly or with select groups of friends through the network’s Circles feature.

I started to upload my measly 1975 music files into the service. It has rejected the music from Apple that have DRM licenses in them. This can be avoid by burning the DRM music files to a CD and then ripping them off in in non-DRM formats.

The Google Music can then be accessed from any connected device, including the iPhone and iPad.
Here is some of my music playing on my iPad.

Watch Steve Jobs: One Last Thing on PBS App for iPad

PBS has a video about Steve Jobs called "Steve Jobs: One Last Thing".

You can watch it from within the free PBS app for iPad or even online at their site.

PBS Presents

http://video.pbs.org/video/2163706349

Now you can watch PBS programs online! Hundreds of hours of award-winning feature films, documentaries, and television shows are available at http://video.pbs.org.

You can find the PBS iPad app in the iTunes AppStore

How to activate iPad 2 multitasking gestures on the iPad 1

Summary: Your iPad 1 can now do the same multitasking gestures the iPad 2 has had since iOS 5 … but you have to switch them on!

The iOS 5.0.1 update brings the multitasking gestures found on the iPad 2 to the first-generation iPad 1 … but only if you switch them on!

To turn on the multitasking gestures click Settings > General and scroll down to Multitasking Gestures and flick the switch.

There are three multitasking gestures, all making use of four of five fingers (is the thumb a finger?):

• Pinch the screen when in an app to go to the Home screen
• Swipe up to get to the multitasking bar (this one is the most awkward to get right in my opinion)
• Swipe left or right to move between apps that are open

I am using these gestures on my first-gen iPad, and while they do take some getting used to, they workas advertised. Given that, I’m not sure why Apple decided to have them off by default.

Apple Release 5.0.1 Update for iOS device

Apple today released iOS 5।0।1 for the iOS devices. The update is an over the air update so you don't need a PC, but you do need a WiFi connection.

This could could be an inconvenience for users that don't have immediate access to a WiFi network।Without the WiFi connection, the download link was not selectable। Once I connected to WiFi I was able to download and install itI did have a hiccup during the download. My wife called me on the phone during the download and it failed; however, it continued after the call had ended.

Since WiFi was being used, it should not have failed so it may have been an issue because many others were updating their devices too।The update is intended to fix the poorer than expected battery life for some iPhone 4s users।It fixed some issues with Documents in iCloud.Siri issues with Australian speaking uses.It added gestures support for the generation 1 iPad devices.I'll report back to let you know if my battery life improves and how the gestures work on my iPad 1. The whole process took 25-30 minutes.

Zombie Highway - Both a Thrilling and Terrifying Ride

If you want an inexpensive thrill ride with tons of zombies to make that trip a short lived one, Zombie Highway is the way to go. Packed with gangs of the living dead that leap at your vehicle, with one intent on their hapless minds; to eat your brains - Zombie Highway is worth the play and the pay!

The game is comprised of a very simple concept; drive your vehicle down the highway for as long as you can. Zombie Highway is very simple in concept, buy quite challenging in execution. If you ever watched the Walking Dead series, you may have thought, "Why don't they just get in a vehicle and drive as fast as they can until there are no more zombie around?"

You wouldn't be the only one to think this nor the only one to attempt it. The highway is scattered with abandoned vehicle whose drivers have long become breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a light snack for the hungry zombies that roam the earth.

The two facts of the game that are unavoidable are you will try as many others have and you will die for your efforts. The only variables that you have any control over are how long you live in your attempts; the vehicles to have to drive, the weapons you have at your disposal and the difficulty of the challenge.

The controls are simple, tilt your device to steer your vehicle through the maze of abandoned vehicles while tapping on the screen to shoot your chosen weapon at the zombies that leap and hang onto your moving vehicle. In addition to the in-vehicle weapons, you can use the abandoned vehicle to help scrape the zombies from the sides of your vehicle. Sounds simple, but some of the zombies are tough and require multiple slams against the obstacles. The problem is made more difficult than it sounds because you are driving at top speed, more zombies are leaping at you at the same time requires you to multitask with draws your attention away from driving. The zombies are strong and will tip your car over quickly if you don't get them off your vehicle as soon as possible.

Think you got the game licked? Try doing it in the fog with your visibility limited. How about doing it with no weapons available to you. There are enough changes that you can tweak it so that the game has more life than you do during any given attempt.

The game is an universal app and will play on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The game is $0.99. There is also a lite version which is free, so there is no excuse not to have some fun. I love free and normally stick with the free versions, but it only took me a few tries before I slapped down the $0.99 for the paid version.

Amazon's "Flow" iPhone App Blends Augmented Reality With eCommerce

Amazon's "Flow" app is pretty cool.

Since Amazon's products are usually shipped free (over $25) and without (immediate) sales tax, it is cool to at a store and point your camera at a product and immediately get a price for the item.

The App is super fast. Point the iPhone, with the app open, at the cover of a book, video game, or movie and instantly get a result.

It works well with the items that it recognizes whether you are scanning a barcode, front of a physical item or a picture on a store flyer.

It doesn't recognize everything, but promises that it constantly adding new items to the database.

Obviously Amazon will collect data that can use to add items that it previously didn't carry as users reveal that they have interest in buying from Amazon.

Thanks,

Carl W. Brooks

View iPhone 4s (Sprint) Speed Test Results

0.44 Mbps (436 Kbps / 53 kB/s)
Transferred 1536 KB in 28.9 seconds.

Test Result Details

Your connection is: 0.44 Mbps (436 Kbps)
You downloaded at: 53 kB/s 
You are: 0.27 times faster than EDGE.
Test key: s1768Fe1976H
Test time: 10/25/2011 03:42:19 PM
Connection type: 3g
Test type: Download
Tested from: iPhone
Latency: 7694 ms 

Click here to view my iPhone speed test results 

http://testmyiphone.com/results/s1768Fe1976H

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Will Steve Jobs&apos; final vendetta haunt Google?

By: MICHAEL LIEDTKE

Published: Oct 23, 2011 8:02 AM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google can only hope that Steve Jobs' final vendetta doesn't haunt the Internet search leader from his grave.

The depths of Jobs' antipathy toward Google leaps out of Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Apple's co-founder. The book goes on sale Monday, less than three weeks after Jobs' long battle with pancreatic cancer culminated in his Oct. 5 death. The Associated Press obtained a copy Thursday.

The biography drips with Jobs' vitriol as he discusses his belief that Google stole from Apple's iPhone to build many of the features in Google's Android software for rival phones.

It's clear that the perceived theft represented an unforgiveable act of betrayal to Jobs, who had been a mentor to Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and had welcomed Google's CEO at the time, Eric Schmidt, to be on Apple's board.

Jobs retaliated with a profane manifesto during a 2010 conversation with his chosen biographer. Isaacson wrote that he never saw Jobs angrier in any of their conversations, which covered a wide variety of emotional topics during a two-year period.

After equating Android to "grand theft" of the iPhone, Jobs lobbed a series of grenades that may blow a hole in Google's image as an innovative company on a crusade to make the world a better place.

"I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong," Jobs told Isaacson. "I'm going to destroy Android because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go to thermonuclear war on this. They are scared to death because they know they are guilty."

Jobs then used a crude word for defecation to describe Android and other products outside of search.

Android now represents one of the chief threats to the iPhone. Although iPhones had a head start and still draw huge lines when new models go on sale, Android devices sold twice as well in the second quarter. According to Gartner, Android's market share grew 2 1/2 times to 43 percent, compared with 17 percent a year earlier. The iPhone's grew as well, but by a smaller margin - to 18 percent, from 14 percent.

Both Google and Apple declined comment to The Associated Press when asked about Jobs' remarks.

Jobs' attack is troubling for Google on several levels.

It suggests that Apple, which has pledged to be true to Jobs' vision, may try to derail Android in court, even if Google obtains more patent protection through its proposed $12.5 billion acquisition of phone maker Motorola Mobility Inc. The derision comes across as a bitter pill for Page and Brin, who have hailed Jobs as one of their idols. It also appears to contradict Schmidt's repeated assertions that he remained on friendly terms with Jobs even after he resigned from Apple's board in 2009.

Most of all, Google should be worried whether the Android brand is damaged by the withering criticism of a revered figure whose public esteem seems to have risen as friends, colleagues and customers paid tribute over the past few weeks.

"The words of cultural icons have a lot of power after death," veteran technology analyst Rob Enderle said. "This almost sounds like a spiritual leader declaring a jihad on Android as his dying wish."

Apple fans tend to be fiercely loyal, making it more feasible to envision an anti-Android movement taking shape like some kind of political protest, Enderle said.

It's also possible that Jobs' criticisms of Google may be seen as hypocritical. That's because some of Apple's computing breakthroughs were based on technology developed by others. The Mac's easy-to-use interface and its mouse controller, for instance, came out of Xerox Corp.

The bitter divide between two of the most beloved and successful technology companies would have seemed inconceivable a few years ago.

In 2006, Google and Apple were on such friendly terms that Jobs welcomed Schmidt to Apple's board of directors with these words: "Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric's insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead," Jobs said.

But in 2008, a year after the iPhone came out, Google unveiled plans to release Android as a free software system that phone makers can use to make devices that compete with the iPhone. Jobs was so infuriated that he went to Google's Mountain View headquarters - about nine miles from Apple's Cupertino office- to try to stop the project, according to the biography.

Jobs' persuasive powers failed to sway Google's leaders.

Now, more than 550,000 devices running on Android are being activated each day. Apple, meanwhile, sold about 3 million fewer iPhones than anticipated in the July-September quarter, contributing to a sharp drop in the company's stock. The newest Android challenger to the iPhone, the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung, is scheduled to go on sale next month.

Although there's no indication in the book that he ever forgave Google, Jobs set aside his disdain for the company long enough to counsel Page nine months ago, according to the biography.

After Google's Jan. 20 announcement that Page would replace Schmidt as CEO in April, Page called Jobs for some pointers. Jobs told Isaacson that his first instinct was to reject Page with a curt expletive, but he reconsidered as he recalled his times as a young entrepreneur listening to the advice of elder Silicon Valley statesmen including Bill Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard Co.

Jobs didn't mince words when Page arrived at Jobs' Palo Alto home. He told Page to build a good team of lieutenants. In his first week as Google's CEO, Page reshuffled his management team to eliminate bureaucracy. Jobs also warned Page not to let Google get lazy or flabby.

"The main thing I stressed was to focus," Jobs told Isaacson about his conversation with Page. "Figure out what Google wants to be when it grows up. It's now all over the map. What are the five products you want to focus on? Get rid of the rest because they're dragging you down. They're turning you into Microsoft. They're causing you to turn out adequate products that are adequate but not great."

Page has shut more than 20 Google products and services in his first six months as Google's CEO as part of an effort to "put more wood behind fewer arrows." It was the type of discipline Jobs instilled on Apple when he returned in 1997 after a dozen years of exile. Jobs killed such products as the Newton handheld device and the PC clones that were allowed to run on Apple's operating system.

It still remains to be seen whether Jobs' words of wisdom or his grievances will leave a bigger imprint on Google.

What Can I Ask Siri on the iPhone 4s?

Every since I received my iPhone 4s, I have enjoyed using Siri to help manage my life and schedule. Here are some example phrases that the new Siri voice assistant is capable of understanding. It turns out that Siri can handle many categories of voice interactions.

Here are Apple-supplied examples plus the ones I discovered by category.

Address Book

Querying Contacts

• What's Carl's address?
• What is Susan Brooks' phone number?
• When is my wife's birthday?
• Show Don's home email address

Finding Contacts

• Show Carl Brooks
• Find people named Park
• Who is Shawn Campbell?

Relationships

My mom is Mary Brooks
Tom Susko is my brother
Call my brother at work

Who is my Mother?

Calendars

Adding Events

• Set up a meeting at 9
• Set up a meeting with Michael at 9
• Meet with Lisa at noon
• Set up a meeting about hiring tomorrow at 9am
• New appointment with Susan Park Friday at 3
• Schedule a planning meeting at 8:30 today in the boardroom

Changing events

• Move my 3pm meeting to 4:30
• Reschedule my appointment with Dr. Manning to next Monday at 9am
• Add Lisa to my meeting with Jason
• Cancel the budget review meeting

Asking about events

• What does the rest of my day look like?
• What's on my calendar for Friday?
• When is my next appointment?
• When am I meeting with Michael?
• Where is my next meeting?

Alarms or Clock Related

Setting Alarms

• Wake me up tomorrow at 7am
• Set an alarm for 6:30am
• Wake me up in 8 hours
• Change my 6:30 alarm to 6:45
• Turn off my 6:30 alarm
• Delete my 7:30 alarm
• Checking the Clock
• Set alarm for 7:30 PM Get Bus card
• Change time to 7:30 AM
• Change to 8:00 PM
• Show alarms

Time and Date

• What time is it?
• What time is it in Berlin?
• What is today's date?
• What's the date this Saturday?
• What month is it?
• What is the day of the week?
• How many hours are between 6 AM and 4 PM

Using a Timer

• Set the timer for ten minutes
• Show the timer
• Pause the timer
• Resume
• Reset the timer
• Stop it

Email

Sending Messages

• Email Lisa about the trip
• Email Jennifer about the change in plans
• New email to Susan Park
• Mail Dad about the rent check
• Email Dr. Manning and say I got the forms, thanks
• Mail Chontiel Brooks about the party and say I had a great time

Checking Messages

• Check email
• Any new email from Michael today?
• Show new mail about the lease
• Show the email from Lisa yesterday

Responding to Messages

• Reply Dear Susan sorry about the late payment
• Call him at work

Friends

Checking Up on Friends

• Where's Jason?
• Where is my sister?
• Is my wife at home?
• Where are all my friends?
• Who is here?
• Who is near me?

Maps

Directions

• How do I get home?
• Show 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino California
• Directions to my dad's work
• Local Businesses
• How do I get to work?

Locations Near Me

• Find coffee near me
• Where is Starbucks?
• Find some burger joints in Baltimore
• Find a gas station within walking distance
• Good Mexican restaurants around here

Messages

Sending Texts

• Tell Susan I'll be right there
• Send a message to Jason Russell
• Send a message to Lisa saying how about tomorrow
• Tell Jennifer the show was great
• Send a message to Susan on her mobile saying I'll be late
• Send a message to 408 555 1212
• Text Jason and Lisa where are you?
• Tell my wife I love you
• Tell my Mom I am on the way

Reading Texts

• Read my new messages
• Read it again

Replying to Texts

• Reply that's great news
• Tell him I'll be there in 10 minutes
• Call her

Music

Playback

• Play The Light of the Sun
• Play Trouble
• Play Taking Back Sunday shuffled
• Play Alicia Keys
• Play some blues
• Play my party mix
• Shuffle my roadtrip playlist
• Play
• Pause
• Skip

Notes

Creating and finding notes

• Note that I spent $12 on lunch
• Note: check out that new Alicia Keys album
• Find my restaurant note
• Create a reading list note
• Add Tom Sawyer to my reading list note
• Show me a list of my notes

Phone

Phone calls

• Call Jason
• Call Jennifer Wright mobile
• Call Susan on her work phone
• Call 408 555 1212
• Call home
• FaceTime Lisa

Reminders

Requesting reminders

• Remind me to call mom
• Remind me to call my mom when I get home
• Remember to take an umbrella
• Remind me take my medicine at 6am tomorrow
• Remind me to pick up flowers when I leave here
• Remind me when I leave to call Jason
• Remind me to finish the report by 6

Stocks

Checking Stocks

• What's Apple's stock price?
• What is Apple's PE ratio?
• What did Yahoo close at today?
• How is the Nikkei doing?
• How are the markets doing?
• What is the Dow at?

Weather

Checking the Forecast

• What's the weather for today?
• What's the weather for tomorrow?
• Will it rain in Cupertino this week?
• Check next week's forecast for Burlington
• What's the forecast for this evening?
• How's the weather in Tampa right now?
• How hot will it be in Palm Springs this weekend?
• What's the high for Anchorage on Thursday?
• What's the high temperature today?
• What's the temperature outside?
• How windy is it out there?
• When is sunrise in Paris?
• I'm going to Chicago tomorrow, will I need an umbrella

Websearch

Looking up information

• Search the web for Bora Bora
• Search for vegetarian pasta recipes
• Search the web for best cable plans
• Google the war of 1812
• Search Wikipedia for Abraham Lincoln
• Search for news about the World Cup
• Bing Alicia Keys

Using Wolfram Alpha

• How many calories in a bagel?
• What is an 18% tip on $86.74 for four people?
• Who's buried in Grant's tomb?
• How long do dogs live?
• What is the Gossamer Condor?
• What's the square root of 128?
• How many dollars is €45?
• What was the Best Picture of 1983?
• How many days until Christmas?
• How far away is the Sun?
• When is the next solar eclipse?
• Show me the Orion constellation
• What's the population of Jamaica?
• How high is Mt. Everest?
• How deep is the Atlantic ocean?
• What's the price of gasoline in Chicago?

Having some fun with Siri

• Take me to your leader
• Are you male or female?
• Do you love me?

By Carl W. Brooks
Editor, iamthereforeipad.com